Thanksgiving 2019

U.S. Thanksgiving Day 2019 Friday's Fave Five

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I'm going to do this a little differently this time.  I'm just going to list the Friday's Fave Five, and then put pictures and commentary below for those who are interested.

1. Thanksgiving Day - A beautiful holiday every autumn regardless of the year or the circumstances.

2. A wonderful meal yesterday - many contributions from those who were there.

3. Family in abundance. We had 30 people attending.  Most were from Mike's side, but my folks and sister were there too.  And our son, his wife, and our daughter were there also.

4. A beautiful piece of property with a well-appointed cabin for every need.

5. The weather was perfect.

A wide-angle view of the property, facing the cabin.

The two of us stuffing our faces with great Thanksgiving food.

Sweet children having a good time 

We had a hayride - Mike loved driving his tractor around the property.

Mike in his element. . . 

and in his element again, taking the children for rides.

View as the sun is setting.

Parents and sister, with nephew in the background.

The fire pit was great.  We had just a big enough fire to set the mood - the weather
was warm enough that we didn't need a huge one at all.

Mike took his oldest sister to see the creek.

This pic is one of my favorites of the day.  This little boy had a ball running around and playing with my sister-in-law's dog.  He also had no qualms about going to the food table after we were done, and getting more food to "graze" on.  He loves raw vegetables.  Here, he has made himself a plate:  A roll, cucumbers, and whipped topping!  :-)

Andrew and one of the nephews riding the four-wheelers.  The nephew's wife is behind Andrew.

Daughter enjoying the view!

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Friday's Fave Five, 10-18-19

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 1. The five chairs above - I got all five for $40 at a yard sale last Saturday.  Just what we need for our property - the outdoor chairs that the previous owner left for us on the porch area were worn out and somewhat nasty.  My only problem was that Mike was off hunting for the weekend - I couldn't get them in my car.  So I called Andrew, who was working, but he let me borrow his truck.  I sort of enjoyed driving around town in his truck!

I was sitting in the parking lot of a store that was not opened yet, when I was texting Andrew.  I was texting him using Siri, and forgot to say "Text Andrew" before saying "I've decided not to wait."  Siri answered "Fine!"  Weird feeling, but funny, to have a non-person answer me.

2. Another piece of furniture.  Mike bought this today - I haven't even seen it yet.  We got it for $40 also.  Mike says it is very solid and nice, and perfect for the cabin.  Again, the one left there for us is worn out.  I feel like I'm getting up off the floor when getting up out of the old love seat.  So this will be very nice to have there.

 3. BUG PROJECTS are done as of today.  I finished grading them this afternoon.  It's a big deal at our school - students not only collect and identify bugs, but also put the bugs on themed boards.  The winner made a "beach party."  They all did good jobs on their projects.

4. This was my salad last Sunday night.  I thought it looked pretty nice.  It definitely tasted good!

5. Wonderful, beautiful, cool fall weather!!!  Two weeks ago we were in the 90s.  We are loving it.

Friday's Fave Five, 10-4-19

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1. This is actually from Thursday a week ago, but I was gone all day Friday last week and couldn't post.  I was at a teachers' convention at Myrtle Beach, and had plans to go visit my daughter (who lives south of there) for dinner that night, when she texted that she couldn't get off of work.  By then my fellow teachers already had plans to go to an escape room, and the rosters were full.  Well, since I was already going toward the south, there was no reason not to go to Huntingdon Beach State Park with my camera, to see if I could get some sightings and pictures of roseate spoonbills.  Success!!  I've seen them one other time, but those were immatures and not nearly as brilliant as these.  Ibises and egrets were also in the water with the spoonbills.

Mike says a roseate spoonbill looks like flamingo that ate a pancake.  :-)

2. This was a very interesting week.  We got a text on Sunday afternoon that the air conditioning was broken in our high school and day care building, with a major part needed that had to be ordered--and all high school classes would be in other locations.  So I taught from Monday through Thursday in the game room of the church activity center.  :-)  It was difficult on one hand, but there were definite pluses:  I got more steps in, and we had more interaction with the elementary teachers, as we used every available space in their building. (I had a last-period study hall in the conference room right next to the first grade classroom.) However, today I was back in my regular room, and it was so nice to be "home" again.  Plus, we all have a new appreciation for air conditioning!!

3. I put this up today.  I really like it!!  The pieces were ordered from a catalog, but it doesn't scream "pre-prepared bulletin board" like some do.

4. We sold a chair on Craigslist last night, so I have a little extra pocket money.  :-)

5. And this one is actually a future one:  This should be our last day of very unseasonable warm temperatures.  It's been in the 90s all week.  Tomorrow we have a 25 degree drop!  Hopefully the hot weather is done now for several months.  I am very ready for fall this year.

Review - Suffering is Never For Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot

Suffering Is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great to get one last book from Elisabeth Elliot (hard to believe that as of this writing, 9/19, she has been gone for four years). This was edited from a series of lectures she gave; the only things changed were references to "yesterday's session" or similar things that dated the material. Elliot starts by defining suffering: "Suffering is having what you don't want or wanting what you don't have." While some people suffer more than others, everyone has suffered in one way or another. Elliot, without papering over the difficulties of suffering, speaks the same truths she has spoken many times: Accept it. Thank God for it. Give it up to Him who allowed it in your life." "In acceptance lieth peace." "Do the next thing." Anyone familiar with her work knows these themes. And the truth of them, expounded beautifully by Elliot one last time, makes this another of her excellent books. Well worth the time to read!!


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Friday's Fave Five 8-9-19

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1. Inservice has started and my room is done.  I didn't get any pictures taken of it, but it is done.  Always a load off of my mind.  I have to give a workshop on Monday morning on bloodborne pathogens, but I've done that in the past, so it shouldn't be too much of a burden on my mind this weekend.

2. We enjoyed our property last weekend, taking a long weekend there since we didn't get a vacation this summer.  I always enjoy watching Mike mow.  He loves to do that, and he is loving having a piece of land.

3. A crazy wild goose chase that was so funny that it was fun.  We went out Monday to look at a couch/love seat combination for the living quarters at our property.  I accidentally had the wrong address to start with, at the location of another yard sale last weekend.  The people came out to speak to us, wondering why we were there, and we were wondering why they didn't mention the couch.  (We had been in contact with the owners, who were expecting us.)  After some small talk, when Mike said we were there to look at the couch, they said "What couch?" Major fail on my part.  Then we finally found the right location (fortunately close by) but couldn't figure out how to get in, as it was in a warehouse/auction house.  We had to go through two other junky businesses (I'm not sure what they were selling) and wait for a door to be unlocked, just to go see the couch - which, after we sat in it, Mike whispered "I wouldn't take that couch if they gave it to us."  It sure looked better in the pictures.  You gotta laugh.

4. Lindor 70% Cocoa Truffles.  I allow myself one each night as they are only four carbs apiece - not  as high as most Lindor Truffles.  They are decadent and they fill that need to have something sweet.  And they don't ruin my eating plan.

5. The best for last:  I had to go to the doctor yesterday for an issue.  While there, I had an A1C done since it has been three months - and it was down to 6.  That's in spite of cheating a little this summer.  The doctor said if it's any lower it will not be considered a diabetic A1C.  (Now, that's with two strong diabetic drugs in me, so it doesn't mean I will no longer have diabetes.)  But that is great news; it does mean that maybe I can consider in the future going off some of the meds.

Friday's Fave Five 8-2-19

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1. This blanket is almost done!  I plan to take it down to the farm when it is finished.  It's made from "sugar wheels" by Yarn Bee.  A few weeks ago, Hobby Lobby had some discontinued sugar wheels marked way down, so I got three of them - the purple and green at the beginning, middle, and end.  That wasn't enough, so I got two more sugar wheels that were shades of purple.  It's nice to crochet with those wheels because the colors change without having to change yarn very often.  I love how the colors turned out.

Example of a sugar wheel - picture
pulled off the internet.

2. Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches.  The tomatoes right now are mid-summer perfect, and I get several every Saturday at the local farmers' market.  A BLT is the best sandwich ever.  I can't eat them like I used to (with two pieces of white bread); however, I use one piece of rye bread on the bottom and a large piece of lettuce for the top.  It works.

3. A good last full week of summer vacation.  I start back to teacher inservice next Tuesday, but I've enjoyed these last days, getting a lot done around the house.  

4. Some new clothes.  :-)  I always feel better about starting the school year with a few new pieces in my closet.  And - the best part - I needed to buy some new slacks because last year's were too big.  It's great to try on new clothes just to see how they look instead of being concerned that they will be too tight.

5. Great times with friends.  This week we took two different sets of friends down to show them the farm - two on Monday, and two last night.  This pic was taken last night.  I cropped off our friends just because I don't know if they want to be displayed all over the internet.  But we had a lovely time with them.

Friday's Fave Five 7-21-19

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1. Land.  We've purchased a piece of land where we can get away and my husband can hunt, bush-hog, and enjoy being outside to his heart's content.   We've been down to the property three times this week.  The shop building on the property includes a small living area, so I can go down as well.  I got the small bedrooms fixed up this week with the beds made and am getting the tiny kitchen organized as well.

2. Tomatoes. The previous owner left 30 tomato bushes that are producing Roma tomatoes by the bucket.  The place also has blueberry bushes, but they are pretty well done for the year; and fig bushes, which are probably not going to get ripe until after I'm back in school.

3. A restaurant close by.  See right picture above.  We found this place today, about a mile away in the small town close to our piece of property.  I ordered the small Philly cheesesteak sub without the bread.  This is what I got, and this is also after several bites.  It was huge and it was good.

Husband ordered a hamburger and onion rings.  I expected him to get the frozen, heavily breaded kind.  They were not.  They were hand cut and dusted in flour.  I'm not supposed to have much flour, but may have broken that rule a little today with those onion rings.  They were delicious.

I suspect that this restaurant may be getting more business from us in the future.

4. Sugar free strawberry ice cream.  At a small shop in the small town where we were today.  This was very good, and it was so nice to enjoy some guilt-free!!

5. Fleece. Clearance, $1 a yard at Wal-Mart.  Yes, $1.  Not a typo.  Some of the girls at school love to make blankets for charity each fall.  They can now make blankets to their hearts' content!

Friday's Fave Five, 7-12-19

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1. A chair!!  A year ago, my old chair hit the loading dock at a local ministry thrift store.

It had done its time with our family.  It looks OK in this photograph, and still had some life in it for someone, but 30 years of heavy use had it showing its age.  For the past 10 years or so, it had been in our bedroom for my use, particularly when the kids had friends in the den.  Well, the kids are gone and it was time for the chair to go also.

However, that left me chairless.  And over the past year of home renovations and other things, a chair for me in the bedroom was low on the list of priorities, even though I had the $$ in hand (Christmas $$ from my parents saved for this purpose).  This past week, a local furniture store had their best sale of the year, and I got my chair!!  It's so nice to have one back in the bedroom, where I can go, shut the door, and enjoy the solitude that I sometimes crave.

2. Fresh ripe tomatoes.  No picture because they are all eaten.  :-)  Not grocery store, hothouse tomatoes, but garden fresh ones from the farmers' market.  And fresh ripe cherries that were only $1.78 a pound this past week at my grocery store.  

3. A trip to a nearby town we don't usually go to.  We had a business matter to take care of, so we ate at a local steakhouse with a view of a small river.  The reviews of the place online weren't great, but I thought it was better than the reviews.  I enjoy going somewhere different from time to time.

4. Cheap fleece.  The Beta Club students (and others) at school like to make blankets each year for underprivileged children.  I recently got some good deals at Hobby Lobby and Joann's on some fleece.  For example, yesterday I got enough clearance fleece for a single blanket for $9.  The students enjoy tying these blankets, and the lady who takes them to her clients says they are greatly appreciated.

5. Reading time.  Summers are so nice for that.  I've been reading as fast as I can, enjoying it very much.  I'm only reading the things I want to read - not things that have to be read for teaching.  It's a very relaxing time.

Jesus Led Me All The Way

Autobiography of Margaret Stringer, missionary to Irian Jaya (posted on Goodreads):

Jesus Led Me All the Way by Margaret Stringer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Delightful autobiography written by a delightful missionary to Papua (formerly Irian Jaya, part of Indonesia). This brave woman was willing to go to cannibals, headhunters, and other people who had never seen a white person. She was willing to eat anything, sleep anywhere, and otherwise learn to be a part of the people to whom she had been sent. She translated the New Testament into the Citak language, and followed up with another translation for a similar dialect. As a result of all her hard work (and that of her teammates and national helpers), she was able to present the people with the New Testament in their native "heart language," and she reaped rewards that those of us in the cushy U.S. have no understanding of. And she writes with humor about the many situations that developed. Well worth the read. I deducted one star only because of several editorial missteps throughout - they were not prominent enough to affect the message of the book.


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Goforth of China - review

I am practicing pasting a Goodreads review onto my personal blog.  We'll see if it works!!

Goforth Of China by Rosalind Goforth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




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